The second wave of devastating flood battered wide swaths of two north-eastern districts Sylhet and Sunamganj lingering sufferings of thousands of people as flood waters are receding slowly.

Officials and residents said that two spells of flood, in less than one month, have created huge havoc for people as pre-monsoon rainfalls are prolonging the flood situation leaving nearly 15 lakh people stranded.

Echoing the observation made by officials concerned and local people, Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) predicted that overall improvement of the flood situation in various low-lying areas of the North-eastern part of the country may continue in the next 72 hours.

According to the local administration, nearly 15 lakh people have been marooned in Sylhet and Sunamganj districts as flood water submerged much of the two districts.

Among the total people, who are marooned by flood water, 6 lakh people are in Sunamganj and 9,64,000 people are in Sylhet, they added.
 
Rezaun Rahman, Director General of Department of Disaster Management, said that, "We are overseeing the flood situation in Sylhet and Sunamganj round-the-clock . . . initially, we are working with local administration and other relevant agencies to provide emergency assistances for minimizing sufferings of the flood-hit people."

As part of emergency assistances, the department of disaster-management is distributing cash, dry food and pure drinking water among the flood-affected people in the north-eastern districts, he added.

Aftermath of the prolonged flooding, relevant ministries including agriculture and the road transport and bridges ministry will submit a complete report on damages caused by the flood, the DG added.

Deputy Commissioner of Sylhet Sheikh Reshel Hasan said the first spell of flood affected thousands of people in 13 upazilas and municipalities of Sylhet district in late May and the flash flood prolonged in the first week of the current month, leaving a large number of people marooned.
 
The authorities have set up 6,392 shelter centres after the second round of flood hit Sylhet and Sunamganj districts. As flood water started receding, people are going to home from shelter centres.  

The Sunamganj district administration sources said flood water submerged 11 upazilas and Sunamganj municipality.

Mayor of Sylhet City Corporation Anwaruzzaman Choudhury said, "Volunteer
teams of city corporation are working to extend assistances for flood-hit
people. We have arranged adequate amount of food at shelter centres."

A devastating flood, triggered by heavy rainfall and onrush water from hilly regions, have affected 20 lakh people in Sylhet and Sunamganj districts, according to a statement of UNICEF issued recently.

The statement, signed by Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative to Bangladesh, read among 20 lakh flood affected people in two northeastern regions - Sylhet and Sunamganj - 7.72 lakh are children.
 
The UNICEF called for emergency assistances for flood-hit children as they (children) are the venerable segment of the population in case of any natural disaster.

The UNICEF in cooperation with Bangladesh government and other organization working at field level have distributed safe drinking water among one lakh flood-hit people in Sylhet and Sunamganj to reduce their sufferings.

Water levels at 39 river stations monitored by Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) have marked rise while 69 stations recorded fall.
 
The Surma river is flowing at 19cm above danger level at Kanaighat station while the Kushiyara at Amalsad, at Sherpur-Sylhet and at Markuli, the Old Surma at Derai and the Someshwari at Kalmakanda are flowing 33cm, 06cm, 30cm, 05cm and 17cm are flowing respectively.
 
The Brahmaputra-Jamuna river is in falling trend, which may continue in next 24 hours, the FFWC bulletin said adding the Ganges river is in rising trend while the Padma river is in falling trend, which may continue in next 48 hours.
 
The major rivers in the North-eastern region of the country are in falling trend which may continue in the next 24 hours. Overall improvement of the flood situation in various low-lying areas of the north-eastern part of the country may continue in the next 72 hours.
 
According to the information from meteorological organizations, medium to heavy rainfall in next 24 hours and heavy to very heavy rainfall in next 48 hours is expected in the Northern and adjoining upstream parts of the country. As a result, the water level of the Teesta river in that region may rise in particular time in the next 48 hours.